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Media Center Error in Vista Premium: Tuner Not Installed

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This document applies to HP and Compaq Desktop computers using Windows Vista Premium.
When you attempt to play Live TV in Media Center, the following error appears:
No Tuner Installed
Figure 1: Error: Tuner Not Installed
Image of error in Media Center: Tuner Not Installed
When attempting to set up the TV signal in TV settings the following error appears:
TUNER NOT FOUND
Figure 2: Error: TUNER NOT FOUND
Image of error in Media Center: TUNER NOT FOUND
Your computer must have TV tuner hardware installed before you can watch TV in Media Center. Furthermore, the TV tuner hardware must be compatible with Windows Vista (certified) and the drivers for the TV tuner must be installed.
If your computer does not have compatible TV tuner hardware installed, this message is normal and you must purchase and install a compatible tuner before you can view TV in Media Center.
If your computer has TV Tuner hardware already installed, use the following steps to troubleshoot the error messages and to allow HP Media Center to use the tuner driver. After each step open Media Center and attempt to view TV . Continue using the steps until the error no longer appears and you are able to view television:
  1. If a cable card is being used and the computer is resuming from a sleep/standby mode, wait at least 20 seconds before starting any software that uses the tuner; this includes Windows Media Center.
  2. Restarting the computer may re-sync the driver to media center and fix the error:
    1. Click the Start button on the taskbar.
    2. Click the arrow on the toolbar, and then click Restart .
    3. Wait for Windows to open and all startup items to open before opening Windows Media Center.
  3. Change the Windows Media Center Receiver Service from a specific account name to a Local System account:
    1. Click the Start button and then click Control Panel .
    2. Click Classic View if it is not already selected.
      Figure 3: Classic View
    3. Double-click the Administrative Tools Icon .
    4. Double-click Services .
      Figure 4: Services
    5. Scroll down the Services list and find Windows Media Center Receiver service. You may have to widen the Name column by clicking and dragging the right side of column title.
    6. Right-click Windows Media Center Receiver Service , and then select Properties .
      Figure 5: Windows Media Center Receiver Service: Properties
    7. Click the Log On tab, and then select Local System account .
      Figure 6: Local System Account selection
    8. Click Apply , and then click OK on a Services warning message.
      Figure 7: Services warning
    9. Restart the computer.
    10. Click OK again and restart the computer.
  4. If the computer with a tuner was upgraded from Windows XP Media Center Edition to Windows Vista Premium or Ultimate, or a new tuner card was added, make sure the tuner card is compatible with Vista Premium or Ultimate. Look for "Certified for Windows Vista" on the product packaging or go to the following Website to check for compatibility:
    Microsoft Support: Windows Vista Hardware Compatibility List (in English)
  5. Reinstall the tuner drivers:
    • If you added a TV tuner card separately, install the drivers that came with the tuner hardware.
    • If your PC came with Windows Vista Premium and a tuner, reinstall the tuner drivers by clicking Start , All Programs , PC Help & Tools , and then Recovery Manager . From the Recovery Manager screen, click Advanced and use Hardware driver re-installation to restore the tuner driver.
  6. Install any tuner driver updates from the tuner manufacturer:
    • If you added a TV tuner card separately, visit the manufacturer's web site and install any driver updates for the tuner.
    • If your PC came with Windows Vista Premium and a tuner, visit HP's Software & Driver Downloads page , enter the model number of your HP or Compaq computer into the field provided to open a list of available software downloads for your HP or Compaq PC. Download and install any updates that correspond to tuners, if available.
  7. Use System Restore to revert the system back to a time when the error did not open. If you are not familiar with using Microsoft System Restore, please refer to Using Microsoft System Restore in Windows Vista .
    NOTE: If you can view television after using System Restore but the error message opens again later, an automatic update is being applied to the computer and is causing this problem. When this happens either prevent the automatic update from being download or reinstall the tuner AFTER the automatic has been applied.
  8. If your computer has a PCI TV tuner card, remove the card and reseat it into the PCI slot. For help, see Installing a TV Tuner .
  9. If the error persists, back up all important files and perform an HP System Recovery .
  10. If the error persists after performing a recovery, the TV tuner hardware might be bad. Use Hardware Diagnostic Tools to Test for Hardware Problems and service the computer.
NOTE: One or more of the links above will take you outside the Hewlett-Packard Web site. HP does not control and is not responsible for information outside the HP Web site.


Other solutions customers found helpful

» HP and Compaq Desktop PCs -- Testing for Hardware Problems Using Hardware Diagnostic Tools in Windows Vista
» HP and Compaq Desktop PCs -- Receiving Digital TV Broadcasts in Media Center
» HP and Compaq Desktop PCs -- Installing or Replacing a TV Tuner Card
» HP Media Center Desktop PCs -- Viewing TV in Media Center (Vista)
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